Determining Priority Between RAN Rules and ANDSF Rules

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for determining precedence between Radio Access Network (RAN) rules and Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) rules when a mobile communication device has access to more than one set of rules for offloading data. Systems and methods for transmitting an offloadable Access Point Name (APN) to a mobile communication device when RAN rules are used. Embodiments of the present disclosure combine the advantages of signaling methods when offloading information to a mobile communication device after a RAN rule has been satisfied such that a base station is able to broadcast a signal that enables all devices camped on an serving cell to offload to the APN.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/955,141, filed on Mar. 18, 2014 and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/955,144, filed on Mar. 18, 2014, both of whichare incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

FIELD

This application relates generally to wireless communications, includingoffloading within a communication environment.

BACKGROUND

The cellular network industry and service providers have been developinginter-system offloading solutions to alleviate congestion withincommunication environments by delivering data originally targeted forcellular networks to one or more other complementary technologies suchas Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology. Inter-systemoffloading can reduce congestion issues and provide flexible bandwidthfor load-balancing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and,together with the general description given above and the detaileddescriptions of embodiments given below, serve to explain the principlesof the present disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example network environment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a base station according to an exemplary embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an access point according to an exemplary embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a mobile communication device according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining prioritybetween ANDSF rules and RAN rules in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method for determining precedencebetween ANDSF rules and RAN rules taking into account validity andactivity of ANDSF rules in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating Radio Resource Control (RRC) broadcastsignaling in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating RRC dedicated mode signaling inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting offload informationcontaining EPS bearer information to a mobile communication device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 illustrates a mobile communication device including a ruleselector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a base station including a transmissiondetermination module according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become moreapparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken inconjunction with the drawings, in which like reference charactersidentify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, likereference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar,and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an elementfirst appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the correspondingreference number.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosure, includingstructures, systems, and methods, may be practiced without thesespecific details. The description and representation herein are thecommon means used by those experienced or skilled in the art to mosteffectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, andcircuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring aspects of the disclosure.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,”“an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment describedmay include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, butevery embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarilyreferring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of oneskilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristicin connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitlydescribed.

For purpose's of this discussion, the term “module” shall be understoodto include one of software, or firmware, or hardware (such as circuits,microchips, processors, or devices, or any combination thereof), or anycombination thereof. In addition, it will be understood that each modulecan include one, or more than one, component within an actual device,and each component that forms a part of the described module canfunction either cooperatively or independently of any other componentforming a part of the module. Conversely, multiple modules describedherein can represent a single component within an actual device.Further, components within a module can be in a single device ordistributed among multiple devices in a wired or wireless manner.

In the following disclosure, terms defined by the Long-Term Evolution(LTE) standard are sometimes used. For example, the term “eNodeB” or“eNB” is used to refer to what is commonly described as a base station(BS) or a base transceiver station (BTS) in other standards. The term“User Equipment (UE)” is used to refer to what is commonly described asa mobile station (MS) or mobile terminal in other standards. The LTEstandard is developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)and described in the 3GPP specification and International MobileTelecomunnications-2000 (IMT-2000) standard, all of which areincorporated by reference in their entirety. Further, although exemplaryembodiments are described with reference to LTE, the more generic terms“mobile communication device” and “base station” are used herein exceptwhere otherwise noted to refer to the LTE terms “User Equipment (UE)”and “eNodeB/eNB,” respectively.

As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant art(s)based on the teachings herein, exemplary embodiments are not limited tothe LTE standard, and can be applied to other cellular communicationstandards, including (but not limited to) Evolved High-Speed PacketAccess (HSPA+), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA),CDMA2000, Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access(TD-SCDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution(EDGE), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)(IEEE 802.16) to provide some examples. Further, exemplary embodimentsare not limited to cellular communication networks and can be used orimplemented in other kinds of wireless communication access networks,including (but not limited to) WLAN (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth, Near-fieldCommunication (NFC) (ISO/IEC 18092), ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), and/orRadio-frequency identification (RFID), to provide some examples. Thesevarious standards and/or protocols are each incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

For the purposes of this discussion, the term “processor circuitry”shall be understood to be one or more: circuit(s), processor(s), or acombination thereof. For example, a circuit can include an analogcircuit, a digital circuit, state machine logic, other structuralelectronic hardware, or a combination thereof. A processor can include amicroprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or other hardwareprocessor. The processor can be “hard-coded” with instructions toperform corresponding function(s) according to embodiments describedherein. Alternatively, the processor can access an internal and/orexternal memory to retrieve instructions stored in the memory, whichwhen executed by the processor, perform the corresponding function(s)associated with the processor.

1. OVERVIEW

In certain circumstances, two or more offloading policies used by amobile communication device can conflict. For example, a mobilecommunication device can have access to both Radio Access Network (RAN)rules and Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) rulesfor determining when to offload data. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure provide systems and methods for determining precedencebetween RAN rules and ANDSF rules when a mobile communication device hasaccess to more than one set of rules for offloading data.

When RAN rules are used for offloading data, offload information can besent from a base station to a mobile communication device using avariety of signaling methods, each of which has its own advantages anddisadvantages. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems andmethods that combine the advantages of these signaling methods whenoffloading information to a mobile communication device after a RAN rulehas been satisfied such that a base station is able to broadcast asignal that enables all devices camped on an serving cell to offload toa particular Access Point Name (APN).

2. COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communication environment 100 thatincludes one or more base stations 120, one or more mobile communicationdevices 140, and one or more access points (AP)s 150. The basestation(s) 120, mobile communication device(s) 140, and AP(s) 150 eachinclude one or more processors, circuitry, and/or logic that isconfigured to communicate via one or more wireless technologies. The oneor more processors can include (and be configured to access) one or moreinternal and/or external memories that store instructions and/or codethat, when executed by the processor(s), cause the processor(s) toperform one or more operations to facilitate communications via one ormore wireless technologies as discussed herein. Further, one or more ofthe mobile communication devices 140 can be configured to supportco-existing wireless communications. The mobile communication device(s)140 can include, for example, a transceiver having one or moreprocessors, circuitry, and/or logic that is configured to transmitand/or receive wireless communications via one or more wirelesstechnologies within the communication environment 100.

The base station(s) 120 and AP(s) 150 each include one or moreprocessors, circuitry, and/or logic that is configured to: (1) receiveone or more wired communications via one or more well-known wiredtechnologies (e.g., within a core (backhaul) network) and transmit oneor more corresponding wireless communications via one or more wirelesstechnologies within the communication environment 100, (2) receive oneor more wireless communications within the communication environment 100via one or more wireless technologies and transmit one or morecorresponding wired communications via one or more well-known wiredtechnologies within a core network, and (3) to transmit and/or receivewireless communications via one or more wireless technologies within thecommunication environment 100. The wireless technologies can include,for example, one or more wireless protocols discussed above. The numberof mobile communication devices 140, base stations 120 and/or APs 150are not limited to the numbers shown in the exemplary embodimentillustrated in FIG. 1, and the communication environment 100 can includeany number of mobile communication devices 140, base stations 120 and/orAPs 150 as would be understood by those skilled in the relevant artswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

The mobile communication device 140 can be configured to communicatewith the base station 120 in a serving cell or sector 110 of thecommunication environment 100, to communicate with the access point (AP)150.1 in a wireless local area network (WLAN) 112.1. and/or tocommunicate with the AP 150.2 in a WLAN 112.2. For example, the mobilecommunication device 140 receives signals on one or more downlink (DL)channels and transmits signals to the base station 120, AP 150.1 and/orthe AP 150.2 on one or more respective uplink (UL) channels.

In exemplary embodiments, the mobile communication device 140 can beconfigured to utilize the Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) toexchange information with the APs 150. Further, one or more of the APs150 can be Hotspot 2.0 compliant, as defined in the IEEE 802.11ustandard. In these examples, the mobile communication device 140 can beconfigured to exchange backhaul bandwidth and/or data rate information,connectivity information, capability information, and any otherconnection and/or communication information associated with the AP(s)150 as would be understood by those skilled in the relevant artsutilizing the ANQP.

In an exemplary embodiment, one or more of the base stations 120includes one or more processors, circuitry, and/or logic that isconfigured for communications conforming to 3GPP's Long-Term Evolution(LTE) specification (e.g., the base station is an LTE base station), oneor more of the APs 150 includes one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic that is configured for communications conforming to IEEE's802.11 WLAN specification (e.g., the AP 150 is a WLAN access point), andone or more of the mobile communication devices 140 include one or moreprocessors, circuitry, and/or logic that is configured forcommunications conforming to 3GPP's LTE specification and IEEE's 802.11WLAN specification. The one or more processors, circuitry, and/or logicof the mobile communication device 140 can be further configured forcommunications conforming to one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPPprotocols via one or more device-to-device communication networksestablished with one or more other mobile communication devices. Thatis, the mobile communication device(s) 140 are configured to wirelesslycommunicate with the base station(s) 120 utilizing 3GPP's LTEspecification, with the AP(s) 150 utilizing IEEE's 802.11 WLANspecification, and/or with one or more other mobile communicationdevices 140 directly utilizing 3GPP's LTE specification, IEEE's 802.11WLAN specification, and/or one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPPprotocols. In this example, the serving cell or sector 110 is an LTEserving cell or sector and the WLANs 112 are WLANs utilizing the 802.11WLAN specification. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication of themobile communication device 140 with one or more other mobilecommunication devices 140 can be a device-to-device communication thatbypasses the base station 120, the AP 150, and/or any other base stationand/or AP.

Those skilled in the relevant art(s) will understand that the basestation(s) 120, the AP(s) 150, and the mobile communication device(s)140 are not limited to these exemplary 3GPP and non-3GPP wirelessprotocols, and the base station(s) 120, the AP(s) 150, and/or the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 can be configured for wirelesscommunications conforming to one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPPwireless protocols in addition to, or in the alternative to, thewireless protocols discussed herein.

Examples of the mobile communication device 140 include (but are notlimited to) a mobile computing device—such as a laptop computer, atablet computer, a mobile telephone or smartphone, a “phablet,” apersonal digital assistant (PDA), and mobile media player; and awearable computing device—such as a computerized wrist watch or “smart”watch, and computerized eyeglasses. In some embodiments, the mobilecommunication device 140 may be a stationary device, including, forexample, a stationary computing device—such as a personal computer (PC),a desktop computer, a computerized kiosk, and anautomotive/aeronautical/maritime in-dash computer terminal.

2.1 Base Station

FIG. 2 illustrates the base station 120 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the base station 120can include a transceiver 200 communicatively coupled to processorcircuitry 240. The transceiver 200 includes one or more processors,circuitry, and/or logic that is configured to transmit and/or receivewireless communications via one or more wireless technologies within thecommunication environment 100. In particular, the transceiver 200 caninclude a transmitter 210 and a receiver 220 that have one or moreprocessors, circuitry, and/or logic configured to transmit and receivewireless communications, respectively, via one or more antennas 230.Those skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognize that the transceiver200 can also include (but are not limited to) a digital signal processer(DSP), modulator and/or demodulator, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC)and/or an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and/or a frequencyconverter (including mixers, local oscillators, and filters) to providesome examples. Further, those skilled in the relevant art(s) willrecognize that the antenna 230 may include an integer array of antennas,and that the antenna 230 may be capable of both transmitting andreceiving wireless communication signals. For example, the base station120 can be configured for wireless communication utilizing aMultiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

In an exemplary embodiment, the transceiver 200 is configured forwireless communications conforming to one or more wireless protocolsdefined by 3GPP. For example, the transceiver 200 is configured forwireless communications conforming to 3GPP's LTE specification. In thisexample, the transceiver 200 can be referred to as LTE transceiver 200.Those skilled in the relevant art(s) will understand that thetransceiver 200 is not limited to communication conforming to 3GPP's LTEspecification, and can be configured for communications that conform toone or more other 3GPP protocols and/or one or more non-3GPP protocols.It should be appreciated that the transceiver 200 can be referred to byone or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPP protocols in embodiments wherethe transceiver 200 is configured for such other communicationsconforming to the other 3GPP and/or non-3GPP protocols.

The processor circuitry 240 can include one or more processors (CPUs)250 and/or circuits configured to carry out instructions to performarithmetical, logical, and/or input/output (I/O) operations of the basestation 120 and/or one or more components of the base station 120. Theprocessor circuitry 240 can further include a memory 260 that storesdata and/or instructions, where when the instructions are executed bythe processor(s) 250, perform the functions described herein. The memory260 can be any well-known volatile and/or non-volatile memory,including, for example, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory(RAM), flash memory, a magnetic storage media, an optical disc, erasableprogrammable read only memory (EPROM), and programmable read only memory(PROM). The memory 260 can be non-removable, removable, or a combinationof both.

2.2 Access Point

FIG. 3 illustrates the access point (AP) 150 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the AP 150 caninclude a transceiver 300 communicatively coupled to processor circuitry340. The transceiver 300 is similar to the transceiver 200 and includesone or more processors, circuitry, and/or logic that is configured totransmit and/or receive wireless communications via one or more wirelesstechnologies within the communication environment 100. In particular,the transceiver 300 can similarly include a transmitter 310 and areceiver 320 that have one or more processors, circuitry, and/or logicconfigured to transmit and receive wireless communications,respectively, via one or more antennas 330. Those skilled in therelevant art(s) will recognize that the transceiver 300 can also include(but are not limited to) a digital signal processer (DSP), modulatorand/or demodulator, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and/or ananalog-to-digital converter (ADC), and/or a frequency converter(including mixers, local oscillators, and filters) to provide someexamples. Further, those skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognizethat the antenna 330 may include an integer array of antennas, and thatthe antenna 330 may be capable of both transmitting and receivingwireless communication signals. For example, the AP 150 can beconfigured for wireless communication utilizing a Multiple-inputMultiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

In an exemplary embodiment, the transceiver 300 is configured forwireless communications conforming to one or more non-3GPP protocols.For example, the transceiver 300 is configured for wirelesscommunications conforming to IEEE's 802.11 WLAN specification. In thisexample, the transceiver 300 can be referred to as WLAN transceiver 300.Those skilled in the relevant art(s) will understand that thetransceiver 300 is not limited to communication conforming to IEEE's802.11 WLAN specification, and can be configured for communications thatconform to one or more other non-3GPP protocols and/or one or more 3GPPprotocols. It should be appreciated that the transceiver 300 can bereferred to by one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPP protocols inembodiments where the transceiver 300 is configured for such othercommunications conforming to the other non-3GPP and/or 3GPP protocols.

The processor circuitry 340 is similar to the processor circuitry 240and includes one or more processors, circuitry, and/or logic that isconfigured to control the overall operation of the AP 150, including theoperation of the transceiver 300. The processor circuitry 340 caninclude one or more processors (CPUs) 350 and/or circuits configured tocarry out instructions to perform arithmetical, logical, and/orinput/output (I/O) operations of the AP 150 and/or one or morecomponents of the AP 150. The processor circuitry 340 can furtherinclude a memory 360 that stores data and/or instructions, where whenthe instructions are executed by the processor(s) 350, perform thefunctions described herein. The memory 360 can be any well-knownvolatile and/or non-volatile memory similar to the memory 260 describedabove. Similarly, the memory 360 can be non-removable, removable, or acombination of both.

2.3 Mobile Communication Device

FIG. 4 illustrates the mobile communication device 140 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The mobile communicationdevice 140 can include processor circuitry 440 communicatively coupledto an LTE transceiver 400 and a WLAN transceiver 430. The mobilecommunication device 140 can be configured for wireless communicationsconforming to one or more wireless protocols defined by 3GPP and/or oneor more non-3GPP wireless protocols. In an exemplary embodiment, themobile communication device 140 is configured for wireless communicationconforming to 3GPP's LTE specification and for wireless communicationconforming to IEEE's 802.11 WLAN specification. Those skilled in therelevant art(s) will understand that the mobile communication device 140is not limited to these exemplary 3GPP and non-3GPP wireless protocols,and the mobile communication device 140 can be configured for wirelesscommunications conforming to one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPPwireless protocols in addition to, or in the alternative to, thewireless protocols discussed herein, and/or to a subset of the LTE andWLAN specifications discussed above.

The LTE transceiver 400 includes one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic that is configured for transmitting and/or receivingwireless communications conforming to 3GPP's LTE specification. Inparticular, the LTE transceiver 400 can include an LTE transmitter 410and an LTE receiver 420 that have one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic configured for transmitting and receiving wirelesscommunications conforming to 3GPP's LTE specification, respectively, viaone or more antennas 435. Transceiver 400 need not be limited to LTE,and could operate according to one or more other 3GPP and/or non-3GPPprotocols, as will be understood by those skilled in art.

The WLAN transceiver 430 includes one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic that is configured for transmitting and/or receivingwireless communications conforming to IEEE's 802.11 WLAN specification.In particular, the WLAN transceiver 430 can include a WLAN transmitter415 and a WLAN receiver 425 that have one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic configured for transmitting and receiving wirelesscommunications conforming to IEEE's 802.11 WLAN specification,respectively, via one or more antennas 445. Transceiver 430 need not belimited to WLAN, and could operate according to one or more other 3GPPand/or non-3GPP protocols, as will be understood by those skilled inart.

Regarding the LTE transceiver 400 and the WLAN transceiver 430, theprocesses for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communications caninclude (but are not limited to) a digital signal processer (DSP),modulator and/or demodulator, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and/oran analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and/or a frequency converter(including mixers, local oscillators, and filters) to provide someexamples. Further, those skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognizethat antennas 435 and/or 445 may include an integer array of antennas,and that the antennas may be capable of both transmitting and receivingwireless communication signals. It will also be understood by thoseskilled in the relevant art(s) that any combination of the LTEtransceiver 400 and WLAN transceiver 430, as well as one or more othertransceivers, circuits, and/or processors may be embodied in a singlechip and/or die.

The processor circuitry 440 includes one or more processors, circuitry,and/or logic that is configured to control the overall operation of themobile communication device 140, including the operation of the LTEtransceiver 400 and WLAN transceiver 430. The processor circuitry 440can include one or more processors (CPUs) 450 and/or circuits configuredto carry out instructions to perform arithmetical, logical, and/orinput/output (I/O) operations of the mobile communication device 140and/or one or more components of the mobile communication device 140.The processor circuitry 440 can further include a memory 460 that storesdata and/or instructions, where when the instructions are executed bythe processor(s) 450, perform the functions described herein. Similarly,the memory 460 can be any well-known volatile and/or non-volatilememory, and can be non-removable, removable, or a combination of both.

In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile communication device 140 includesone or more other transceivers (not shown) configured to communicate viaone or more 3GPP protocols, one or more non-3GPP protocols, and/or oneor more other well-known communication technologies. In an exemplaryembodiment, the one or more other transceivers can be configured fornavigational purposes utilizing one or more well-known navigationalsystems, including the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), theRussian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), the European UnionGalileo positioning system (GALILEO), the Japanese Quasi-ZenithSatellite System (QZSS), the Chinese BeiDou navigation system, and/orthe Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) to providesome examples. Further, the mobile communication device 140 can includeone or more positional and/or movement sensors 470 (e.g., GPS,accelerometer, gyroscope sensor, etc.) implemented in (and/or incommunication with) the mobile communication device 140. Here, thelocation and/or movement of the mobile communication device 140 can bedetermined using one or more transceivers configured for navigationpurposes, one or more of the positional and/or movement sensors 470,and/or one or more positional determinations using signalcharacteristics relative to one or more base stations and/or accesspoints.

3. OFFLOADING

In an exemplary embodiment, the processor circuitry 440 is configured tooffload communications via the LTE or WLAN transceivers 400, 430. Forexample, the processor circuitry 400 can offload data from one or morebase stations 120 and/or APs 150 to one or more other base stations 120and/or AP 150. Alternatively, the processor circuitry 400 can offloadcommunications via the LTE transceiver 400 to the WLAN transceiver 430,and/or can offload communications via the WLAN transceiver 430 to theLTE transceiver 400. The offloading can be based on one or moreoffloading policies provided to the mobile device 140 by one or moreservice providers and received via the LTE transceiver 400 and/or theWLAN transceiver 430. Further, the offloading policies can be stored inthe memory 460, and accessed and executed by the CPU 450 to effectuatethe offloading of communications. For example, the processor circuitry440 can be configured to control the mobile communication device 140 tooffload communications with the base station 120 to the AP 150.1 basedon one or more of the offloading policies. In exemplary embodiments, theoffloading policies can include priority information and/or utilityinformation that can be used to determine an appropriate offloadingpolicy to be implemented by the mobile communication device 140. Inthese examples, the mobile communication device 140 can select anoffloading policy from one or more offloading polices based on, forexample, utility information associated with the offloading policy.

The offloading of communications with the mobile communication device140 can be from the base station 120 to the AP 150, from the AP 150 tothe base station 120, or a combination of both. For example, the mobilecommunication device 140 can be configured to offload communicationswith the base station 120 to the AP 150 based on one or more offloadingpolicies provided to the mobile communication device 140 by one or moreservice providers. The offloading policies can be application specificfor separate applications (e.g. voice, data, background, pushapplications) operating on the mobile communication device 140. In anexemplary embodiment, the offloading policies are maintained in a policyserver that is communicatively coupled to the mobile communicationdevice 140 via one or more communication networks associated with theone or more service providers. For example, the policy server can becommunicatively coupled to the base station 120 (via a backhaulconnection), and then wirelessly provided to the mobile communicationdevice 140 via the LTE network supported by the base station 120.

The offloading policies can be received by the mobile communicationdevice 140 via the LTE transceiver 400 and/or the WLAN transceiver 430from the one or more service providers. Further, the offloading policiescan be either statically pre-configured on the mobile communicationdevice 140 or dynamically updated by the service provider and providedto the mobile communication device 140. The policies can be stored inthe memory 460, and accessed and executed by the CPU 450 to effectuatethe offloading of communications between the mobile communication device140 and base station 120 and/or the AP 150. The offloading policies caninclude, for example, one or more rules associated with the location ofone or more communication networks, priority and/or utility informationassociated with one or more communication networks and/or one or moreapplications operable by the mobile communication device 140, thelocation of the mobile communication device 140, the availablecommunication networks at specified locations, the day of week, the timeof day, discovery information corresponding to the various communicationnetworks, and/or any other information as would be apparent to thoseskilled in the relevant arts.

In operation, the mobile communication device 140 can analyze one ormore of the parameters defined in the offloading policy (e.g., utilityinformation) based on the operating state of the mobile communicationdevice 140 (e.g., which applications are currently being utilized by themobile communication device 140). Based on this analysis, the mobilecommunication device 140 determines whether to perform an offloadingoperation to another communication network, and if so, whichcommunications and to what other communication network thecommunications are to be offloaded to.

3.1 ANDSF Framework

In an exemplary embodiment, the one or more offloading policies conformto, and/or are associated with, the Access Network Discovery andSelection Function (ANDSF) framework as defined in the 3GPP TS 24.312specification, which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. The ANDSF framework is an entity introduced by 3GPP as part ofthe Release 8 set of specifications, within an Evolved Packet Core (EPC)of the System Architecture Evolution (SAE) for 3GPP compliantcommunication networks. The ANDSF framework assists the mobilecommunication device 140 to discover one or more non-3GPP communicationnetworks (e.g., WLAN, WIMAX, etc.) that can be used for datacommunications in addition to one or more 3GPP communication networks(e.g., LTE, HSPA, etc.) and to provide the mobile communication device140 with rules (e.g., policy conditions) that control the connection tothe 3GPP and/or non-3GPP communication networks. The use of operationalparameters, policies, and/or conditions within an operational frameworkfor inter-system offloading, and the transmission of the operationalframework to a mobile communication device, is further described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/149,681 filed Jan. 7, 2014, entitled“Systems And Methods For Network Discovery And Selection UsingContextual Information,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/167,615filed Jan. 29, 2014, entitled “System And Methods For AnonymousCrowdsourcing Of Network Condition Measurements,” each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The ANDSF framework is defined by one or more ANDSF Management Objects(MO) that are generated by the service providers of the one or more 3GPPcommunication networks and provided to the mobile communication device140. The ANDSF MOs of the framework can provide the mobile communicationdevice 140 with the following information, based on the serviceprovider's configuration:

-   1. Inter-System Mobility Policy (ISMP)—network selections rules for    a mobile communication device with no more than one active    communication network connection (e.g., either LTE or WLAN).-   2. Inter-System Routing Policy (ISRP)—network selection rules for    the mobile communication device with potentially more than one    active communication network connection (e.g., both LTE and WLAN).    Here, the mobile communication device may employ IP Flow Mobility    (IFOM), Multiple Access Packet Data Networks (PDN) Connectivity    (MAPCON) or non-seamless WLAN offloading according to operator    policy and user preferences.-   3. Discovery Information—a list of networks that may be available in    the vicinity of the mobile communication device and information    assisting the mobile communication device to expedite the connection    to these networks.

In these examples, the ANDSF framework assists the mobile communicationdevice 140 to discover communication networks in the vicinity of themobile communication device 140 and prioritize/manage connections to thecommunication networks. The policies set forth in the ANDSF frameworkcan be statically pre-configured on the mobile communication device ordynamically updated by the service provider and provided to the mobilecommunication device 140 via the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) DeviceManagement (DM) protocol specified by the OMA DM Working Group and theData Synchronization (DS) Working Group. The OMA DM protocol isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

3.2 ANDSF Management Object

The ANDSF framework can be referred to as an ANDSF Management Object(MO) that include various rules, conditions, parameters, and otherinformation organized into one or more “nodes” that may have one or more“leaf objects” descending therefrom. The nodes and leaf objects define,for example, one or more rules, one or more conditions, one or moreparameters, and/or discovery information that are used by the mobilecommunication device 140 in governing the ISMP, ISRP, and/or Discoveryprocessing by the mobile communication device 140. For example, theANDSF MO is used by the mobile communication device 140 to establishcommunications via one or more non-3GPP communication networks (e.g.,WLAN communication network on AP 150) and effectuate offloading of themobile communication device's 140 communications via the base station120 to, for example, the AP 150.

The ANDSF MOs can be maintained by an ANDSF server that iscommunicatively coupled to the mobile communication device 140 via oneor more communication networks associated with the one or more serviceproviders (e.g., via the base station 120). The various rules andinformation within the ANDSF MO can be either statically pre-configuredon the mobile communication device 140 or dynamically updated by theservice provider and provided to the mobile communication device 140.The ANDSF MO can be stored in the memory 460 of the mobile communicationdevice 140, and accessed and executed by the CPU 450 to effectuate theoffloading of communications between the mobile communication device 140and base station 120 and/or the AP 150.

In operation, when a condition within the ANDSF MO becomes “active”(e.g., the mobile communication device 140 moves within range of acommunication network serving cell that is specified in a node/leaf ofthe of the ANDSF MO), the mobile communication device 140 notifies theevent to the ANDSF server and requests the Inter-system DiscoveryInformation based on the preferred access technology recommended in theMO (e.g., WLAN). The ANDSF server will provide the mobile communicationdevice 140 with the communication network's identification information(e.g., WLAN Hotspot SSIDs) in the vicinity and related accessinformation (e.g., WLAN security keys). The mobile communication device140 uses this information to connect to the other communication network.Further, the mobile communication device 140 can offload communicationsoriginally destined for the original serving communication network(e.g., LTE) to the other communication network based on rules set forthin the ANDSF MO.

In exemplary embodiments, identification information, connectioninformation, backhaul bandwidth and/or data rate information, capabilityinformation, and/or any other information associated with the AP(s) 150as would be understood by those skilled in the relevant arts can beprovided by the AP(s) 150 to the mobile communication device(s) 140utilizing the Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP). In exemplaryembodiments, the AP(s) can be configured to provide information to thebase station(s) 120 through one or more backhaul connections. Theinformation provided to the base stations 120 can include informationthat can be provided by the AP(s) 150 to mobile communication device(s)140 using the Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP). For example, theAP(s) 150 can provide identification information, connectioninformation, backhaul bandwidth and/or data rate information, capabilityinformation, and/or any other information associated with the AP(s) 150to the base station(s) 120 through the backhaul connection. In theseexamples, the information provided to the base station(s) 120 that aregenerally provided by the AP(s) 150 using the ANQP can be referred toone or more ANQP parameters.

The base station(s) 120 can be configured to then provide theinformation obtained from the AP(s) (e.g., the ANQP parameters) to themobile communication device(s) 140 using a radio access network (e.g.,LTE network). In these examples, the mobile communication device(s) 140can utilize the information associated with the AP(s) 150 that has beenreceived via the base station(s) 120 to connect to, and communicatewith, the AP(s) 150. In an exemplary embodiment, the ANQP parameters canbe defined in an ANDSF framework and distributed to the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 within an ANDSF MO.

In exemplary embodiments, the AP(s) 150 that are configured to exchangeinformation with one or more base station(s) 120 can be associated withone or more service providers that are associated with the correspondingbase station(s) 120. That is, the exchange of information between theAP(s) 150 and base station(s) 120 can be effectuated by a common serviceprovider that supports both the AP 150 and the base station 120.

4. PRIORITY, PRECEDENCE AND INTERACTION BETWEEN RAN RULES ANDSF

In an exemplary embodiment, two or more offloading policies used by themobile communication device(s) 140 can conflict. For example, the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 can be provisioned with user-specifiedoffloading rules, operator-provisioned offloading rules (e.g., ANDSFrules distributed from an operator server to a core network), and RadioAccess Network (RAN) rules that are implemented into a cellular modem ofthe mobile communication device(s) 140 or are sent to the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 by the base station 120 through dedicatedsignaling.

For example, in an embodiment, the user-specified offloading rules canbe manually configured by a user (e.g., via altering settings using aninterface operating on mobile communication device(s) 140).Alternatively the user-specified offloading rules can be configured fora particular user.

In an embodiment, the RAN rules include a set of thresholds forRAN-related parameters (e.g., signal strength, interference level, WLANthresholds, etc.). Based on these parameters, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 can determine when to offload traffic. For example, if themobile communication device(s) 140 is at the edge of a cell and a WLANaccess point is available, the mobile communication device(s) 140 candetermine whether to offload traffic to the WLAN access point based onone or more thresholds set forth in the RAN rules associated withoffloading traffic (e.g., the mobile communication device(s) 140 candetermine to offload traffic if the signal strength of the currentnetwork is below a specified threshold and if the signal strength of theWLAN network is above a specified threshold).

As discussed above, the ANDSF policies are distributed from an operatorserver to a core network. In an embodiment, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 can receive ANDSF rules from both a home network and avisited network. For example, if the mobile communication device(s) 140is owned by a user in the United States, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 can get ANDSF rules provisioned from an operator in theUnited States. When the user of mobile communication device(s) 140 istraveling in Europe, the mobile communication device(s) 140 can beprovisioned with ANDSF rules from an operator in Europe that has aroaming agreement with the home operator.

Because the user-specified rules, ANDSF rules (which can be provisionedby both home and visited operators), and RAN rules can conflict, systemsand methods for determining which rules take precedence are needed. Inan embodiment, user-specific rules can always take precedence over RANrules and ANDSF rules. Embodiments of the present disclosure providesystems and methods for determining whether RAN rules or ANDSF rulestake precedence when multiple conflicting rule sets are available.

4.1 Use Case Scenarios

Table 1 below provides a set of rules for determining precedence betweenRAN rules and ANDSF rules in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

TABLE 1 Scenario Existing H- Existing V- Existing RAN Rules Number ANDSFPolicy ANDSF Policy Rules to Use 1 Yes No No Home ANDSF 2 Yes Yes NoVisited ANDSF (primarily) 3 Yes No Yes Home ANDSF 4 No Yes Yes VistedANDSF 5 Yes Yes Yes Visited ANDSF (primarily) 6 No No Yes RAN Rules

In Scenario 1, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith an ANDSF policy from a home operator, and no visited ANDSF rules orRAN rules are available. In this scenario, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 will use the home ANDSF policy for network selection andtraffic steering.

In Scenario 2, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith an ANDSF policy from a home operator and an ANDSF policy from avisited operator, and no RAN rules are available. In this scenario, themobile communication device(s) 140 will use the visited ANDSF policy fornetwork selection and traffic steering. In an embodiment, the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 is configured to prefer the visited ANDSFpolicy over the home ANDSF policy when a visited ANDSF policy isavailable.

In Scenario 3, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith RAN rules and an ANDSF policy from a home operator, and no visitedANDSF rules are available. In this scenario, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 will use the home ANDSF policy for network selection andtraffic steering. In an embodiment, the mobile communication device(s)140 can use some of the RAN assistance parameters to enhance the ANDSFnetwork selection policies in this scenario.

In Scenario 4, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith RAN rules and an ANDSF policy from a visited operator, and no homeANDSF rules are available. In this scenario, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 will use the visited ANDSF policy for network selectionand traffic steering.

In Scenario 5, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith RAN rules, an ANDSF policy from a home operator, and an ANDSFpolicy from a visited operator. In this scenario, the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 will use the visited ANDSF policy fornetwork selection and traffic steering. In an embodiment, the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 can use some of the RAN assistanceparameters to enhance the ANDSF network selection policies in thisscenario.

In Scenario 6, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is provisionedwith RAN rules, and no ANDSF rules are available from a home operator ora visited operator. In this scenario, the mobile communication device(s)140 will use the RAN rules for network selection and traffic steering.

4.2 Methods for Determining Precedence Between ANDSF Rules and RAN Rules

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for determining priority between ANDSFrules and RAN rules in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As shown by FIG. 5, the mobile communication device(s) 140is configured to give higher priority to ANDSF rules than RAN rules whenANDSF rules are available. When ANDSF rules are provisioned by a homeand a visited operator, the mobile communication device(s) 140 isconfigured to give higher priority to the ANDSF rules provisioned by thevisited operator.

In step 502, the mobile communication device(s) 140 determines whether avisited ANDSF policy is available (and therefore accessible by mobilecommunication device(s) 140). If a visited ANDSF policy is available(e.g., if the mobile communication device(s) 140 is roaming), the methodproceeds to step 504, and the visited ANDSF policy is used for networkselection and traffic steering.

If no visited ANDSF policy is available, the method proceeds to step506, and the mobile communication device(s) 140 determines whether ahome ANDSF policy is available. If a home ANDSF policy is available, themethod proceeds to step 508, and the home ANDSF policy is used fornetwork selection and traffic steering. If no home ANDSF policy isavailable, the method proceeds to step 510, and the RAN rules are usedfor network selection and traffic steering.

In some cases, an ANDSF policy may be available but specific rules ofthe ANDSF policy may be inactive or invalid. For example, in some cases,even when an ANDSF policy exists, current conditions at the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 may not satisfy any rules in the ANDSFpolicy for offloading traffic. In an embodiment, rules in an ANDSFpolicy have conditions under which they become active (e.g., anoffloading rule for mobile communication device(s) 140 may only becomeactive when a certain time or location satisfies the condition foractivity of the rule). If no conditions are satisfied for any rule inthe ANDSF policy, there a case may arise where there is no active rule.

Additionally, in some cases, even where a certain rule becomes active,it may become invalid (e.g., due to changing conditions). For example,if a rule becomes active at a certain time of day, the rule may becomeinvalid once a certain time threshold has been passed. Additionally,certain rules in an ANDSF policy may only be valid when certain kinds oftraffic occur at the mobile communication device(s) 140 (e.g., trafficthat matches a certain flow configuration).

In an embodiment, the mobile communication device(s) 140 can firstdetermine whether a rule in the ANDSF policy is active and/or validbefore determining that the ANDSF policy should be granted precedenceover the RAN rules. If no rule in the ANDSF policy is active and/orvalid, the mobile communication device(s) 140 can be configured to “fallback” to the RAN rules in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for determining precedence betweenANDSF rules and RAN rules taking into account validity and activity ofANDSF rules in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.In an embodiment, the mobile communication device(s) 140 can beconfigured to perform the operations of FIG. 6 before deciding to use ahome ANDSF policy or a visited ANDSF policy when RAN rules are alsoavailable. For example, in an embodiment, the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 can be configured to perform the operations of FIG. 6 inplace of step 504 and/or step 508 of FIG. 5.

In step 602, the mobile communication device(s) 140 determines whether arule in the ANDSF policy (e.g., a rule for offloading in a home ANDSFpolicy or a visited ANDSF policy) is active. If no rule is active, themethod proceeds to step 604, and the RAN rules are used.

If a rule in the ANDSF policy is active, the method proceeds to step606, and the mobile communication device(s) 140 determines whether arule in the ANDSF policy (e.g., a rule for offloading in a home ANDSFpolicy or a visited ANDSF policy) is valid. If no rule is valid, themethod proceeds to step 608, and the RAN rules are used. If a rule inthe ANDSF policy is valid, the method proceeds to step 610, and theANDSF policy is used.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an ANDSF policy is used tooffload data even if a rule in the ANDSF policy is inactive and/orunavailable. For example, in an embodiment, using ANDSF rules, even whenthey are inactive and/or unavailable, can lead to more predictablebehavior of mobile communication device(s) 140.

In an embodiment, the mobile communication device(s) 140 is configuredto implement the method of FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6. More specifically, theprocessor circuitry 440 can be configured to implement the method ofFIG. 5 and FIG. 6. For example, in an embodiment, the memory 460 of themobile communication device(s) 140 stores code and/or instructions that,when executed by the CPU 450, causes the CPU 450 to perform theoperations shown by FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6. Alternatively, the mobilecommunication device(s) 140 can have one or more modules configured toperform the operations shown by FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6 (e.g., usinghardware, digital logic, etc.). For example, FIG. 9 shows mobilecommunication device(s) 140 including rule selector 902 that isconfigured to implement the method of FIG. 5 and/or FIG. 6.

5. DETERMINING A SIGNALING METHOD FOR OFFLOAD INFORMATION

As discussed above, RAN rules can specify conditions that occur atcertain thresholds. When a condition of a RAN rule is fulfilled, thebase station 120 sends offload information to the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 to allow the mobile communication device(s) 140 to offloadtraffic that is deemed to be offloadable by the RAN rule. In anembodiment, this information can notify the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 about offloadable Access Point Name(s) (APN), number(s),or ID offload information and/or about offloadable bearers (e.g., whichEvolved Packet switched System (EPS) bearers are offloadable). Forexample, in an embodiment, the APN identifies the Packet Data Network(PDN) that the mobile communication device(s) 140 wants to communicatewith and a type of service provided by the PDN.

This offload information can be sent to the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 in a variety of ways. For example, in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure, offload information can be sentto the mobile communication device(s) 140 using Radio Resource Control(RRC) broadcast signaling, RRC dedicated mode signaling, or Non-accessStratum (NAS) signaling. Embodiments of the present disclosure providesystems and methods that combine the advantages of these signalingmethods when offloading information to mobile communication device(s)140 after a RAN rule has been satisfied.

FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating RRC broadcast signaling in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 7A, the basestation 120 sends a broadcast signal with the offload information rulesto all devices (e.g., to the mobile communication device(s) 140, 141,and 142) camped on the serving cell 110. Because this broadcast affectsall devices camped on the serving cell 110, each of the mobilecommunication device(s) 140, 141, and 142 has similar behavior.

FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating RRC dedicated mode signaling inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 7B, thebase station 120 sends a separate, dedicated signal with the offloadinformation to each of the mobile communication devices 140, 141, and142. In this mode, the offloadable criteria can be set per device(instead of affecting all devices camped on serving cell 110 as in FIG.7A).

FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating NAS signaling in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure. NAS is a protocol for messagespassed between the mobile communication devices and core nodes (e.g.,mobile switching center, serving GPRS support node, or MobilityManagement Entity (MME)) that is passed transparently through the radionetwork. As shown in FIG. 7C, the MME 702 sends offload information tothe mobile communication devices 140, 141, and 142. Because the decisionto send the offload information is taken by the MME 702, the basestation 120 is unaware of the offload information sent to the mobilecommunication devices 140, 141, and 142.

5.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Signaling Methods

In an embodiment, the MME 702 is connected to a home subscriber serverthat contains a user profile. One advantage of using NAS signaling isthat the MME 702 has access to APN information, user profileinformation, and EPS bearer information. In an embodiment, the basestation 120 does not have access to APN information and/or EPS bearerinformation when RRC broadcast signaling or RRC dedicated mode signalingis used. Instead, the base station 120 has access to radio bearersidentified through QCI Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI)identifiers. In an embodiment, when QCI identifiers are used to offloadinformation an APN is considered offloadable (e.g., available foroffload) if the APN has the given QCI identifiers.

In an embodiment, transmitting offload information using QCI identifiersis not ideal for making certain offloading decisions. For example, for aparticular user, a decision may be made to only offload certain types oftraffic (e.g., internet PDN traffic) and not traffic corresponding toother types of data. In an embodiment, the base station 120 does nothave access to user profile information and does not know the identityof the destination of the PDN packets. Thus, the APN information, userprofile information, and EPS bearer information available to the MME 702are more useful than the information available to base station 120 whensending offload information.

NAS signaling also has some disadvantages, however. For example, in anembodiment, when using NAS signaling, the MME 702 has to keep track ofits APN information as well as all the APN information of all devicescamped on serving cell 110. In an embodiment, this can be a large amountof information and can be difficult to manage. Further, the base station120 does not have knowledge of what traffic is being offloaded when NASsignaling is used, so if a particular type of traffic needs to beoffloaded, the base station 120 needs to send an indication to the MME702 to update the list of mobile communication devices camped on servingcell 110. In the case of a handoff from the MME 702 to another MME, theMME 702 will send offload information (e.g. a list of offloadablebearers) to the new serving MME. Further, applying changes to alldevices camped on the serving cell 110 can result in a large signalingoverhead.

When RRC dedicated signaling is used, the base station 120 has knowledgeof what traffic is being offloaded and can customize the offloadablelist per subscriber, although the base station 120 does not haveknowledge of the subscriber profile. However, applying changes to allmobile communication devices camped on serving cell 110 also results ina large signaling overhead when RRC dedicated signaling is used tooffload information. Using RRC broadcast signaling reduces this overheadbut cannot apply changes to mobile communication devices individually.

In an embodiment, the base station 120 can consider the advantages anddisadvantages of each of these signaling methods and can select anappropriate signaling method (e.g., based on a policy stored in thememory 260). For example, in an embodiment, the base station 120 canselect the RRC broadcast signaling method if several devices are campedon the serving cell 110, and reducing signaling overhead is an importantconcern (e.g., if the number of camped devices exceeds a predeterminedthreshold set in the policy).

In an embodiment, the base station 120 can select the NAS signalingmethod if offloading to a particular APN is an important concern and/orif information in the user profile is important for offloadingdecisions. For example, certain types of offload requests may requiremore particular offloading information (e.g., a request to only offloadcertain types of traffic, such as Internet PDN traffic, and not trafficcorresponding to other types of data). In an embodiment, base station120 can determine, based on the policy whether APN information and/oruser profile information is necessary to satisfy the offload request andcan select the NAS signaling method if this is the case.

In an embodiment, the base station 120 can select the RRC dedicated modesignaling method if, for example, it is important to send a dedicatedsignal to an individual mobile communication device while allowing thebase station 120 to maintain knowledge of what traffic is beingoffloaded. Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the policy can specify a variety of rules and conditions forselecting a signaling method for sending offload information, and thebase station 120 can analyze this policy and select a signaling methodaccordingly.

5.2 Combining Functionality of Base Station and MME Signaling Procedures

As described above, normally, the base station 120 does not have accessto EPS bearer information (e.g., information that describes bearersbetween a PDN and mobile communication device(s) 140). Rather, the basestation 120 has access to radio bearer information (e.g., informationthat describes bearers between base station 120 to mobile communicationdevice(s) 140). Embodiments of the present disclosure enable the basestation 120 to gain access to EPS bearer information so that the basestation 120 can make a decision whether offload data associated withoffloadable bearers, and to send offload information containing the EPSbearer information.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods usinga combination of MME and base station procedures that can be used byboth the base station 120 and the mobile communication device 140 tomake an offload decision. Systems and methods according to embodimentsof the present disclosure enable base station 120 to obtain EPS bearerinformation available to the MME 702. The base station 120 can and usethis EPS bearer information to broadcast a signal to all devices campedon the serving cell 110 or can use this EPS bearer information to send adedicated signal to the mobile communication device(s) 140. Thus,embodiments of the present disclosure combine the advantages of NASsignaling (e.g., access to EPS bearer information) and RRC broadcastsignaling (e.g., the ability to simultaneously apply changes to multiplemobile communication devices camped on a serving cell).

For example, when NAS signaling is used to send offload information, theMME 702 sends EPS bearer information to the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 via the base station 120. For example, in an embodiment,the MME 702 can send identifiers that identify a plurality of EPSbearers (e.g., including EPS bearers to be offloaded and EPS bearersthat are available for offloading data). In an embodiment, this EPSbearer information is associated with one or more offloadable indicatorsthat indicate whether a particular EPS bearer is offloadable or not.Using this knowledge, the base station 120 can build a map of EPSbearers and corresponding offloadable indicators.

In an embodiment, once an offload condition exists within the servingcell 110, the base station 120 uses its obtained EPS bearer informationto send offload information. For example, an offload condition can existwhen signal strength in the serving cell is low for a particular mobiledevice, when one or more mobile devices are located at the edge of theserving cell, and/or when interference in the serving cell exceeds apredetermined threshold for one or more mobile devices. When the basestation 120 detects an offload condition, the base station 120 canexamine the map of EPS bearers and corresponding offloadable indicatorsto determine those bearers that can be offloaded (e.g., data offloadedfrom the offloadable bearers). Afterwhich, the base station 120 can sendoffload information to the mobile communication device(s) 140 inresponse so that data can be offloaded that is being carried by thecorresponding offloadable bearers.

The base station 120 can send the offload information using a variety ofsignaling methods. For example, in response to detecting an offloadcondition, the base station 120 can broadcast a signal containing theoffload information to all devices camped on the serving cell.Alternatively, the base station 120 can send a dedicated signal to themobile communication device(s) 140 containing the offload information.For example, if an offload condition exists for the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140, the base station 120 can determine the EPS bearers andcorresponding offloadable indicator(s) so that data can be offloaded.Using this information, the base station 120 can then send a signal thatenables the mobile communication device(s) 140 to offload to aparticular APN. For example, in an embodiment, when an offload conditionexists in a serving cell, the base station 120 can send offloadinformation so that data assigned to the offloadable bearers can beoffloaded to one or more EPS bearers that were not previously used tosend the data.

5.3 Signaling Using a Combination of Base Station and MME Procedures

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method for transmitting offload informationcontaining EPS bearer information to a mobile communication device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In step 802,the base station 120 receives a plurality of identifiers that identifyEPS bearers and a plurality of corresponding offloadable indicators fromthe MME 702. For example, in an embodiment, the base station 120receives the EPS bearers and corresponding offloadable indicators asoffload information is sent from the MME 702 to the mobile communicationdevice(s) 140 and 141. In step 804, the base station 120 builds a map ofthe EPS bearers and corresponding offloadable indicators and stores themap in the memory 260.

In step 806, the base station 120 determines that an offload conditionexists in the serving cell 110. For example, an offload condition canexist when signal strength in the serving cell is low for a particularmobile device, when one or more mobile devices are located at the edgeof the serving cell, and/or when interference in the serving cellexceeds a predetermined threshold for one or more of the mobilecommunication device(s) 140. As described above, the base station 120has access to radio bearer information corresponding to the offloadcondition but does not have access to EPS bearer informationcorresponding to the offload condition without receiving informationfrom the MME 702. The base station 120 can thus use the informationobtained from the MME 702 to determine the EPS bearers that should beoffloaded in response to the offload condition.

In step 808, the base station 120 determines, based on the map, one ormore EPS bearers that can be offloaded in response to the offloadcondition. For example, in an embodiment, the offloadable indicators inthe map determine which EPS bearers are offloadble. In step 810, thebase station 120 sends offload information to one or more mobilecommunication device(s) 140, 141, and 142 camped on the serving cellinstructing the one or more mobile communication device(s) 140, 141, and142 to offload data from the one or more EPS bearers. For example, inand embodiment, the base station 120 broadcasts a signal to all devices(e.g., the mobile communication device(s) 140, 141, and 142) camped onserving cell 110 instructing the devices to offload to one or more APNsthat may be associated with EPS bearers that are different from theoffloadable EPS bearers.

In an embodiment, the base station 120 is configured to implement themethod of FIG. 8. More specifically, the processor circuitry 240 can beconfigured to implement the method of FIG. 8. For example, in anembodiment, the memory 260 of the base station 120 stores code that, ifexecuted by the CPU 250, causes the CPU 250 to perform the operationsshown by FIG. 8. Alternatively, the base station 120 can have one ormore modules configured to perform the operations shown by FIG. 8 (e.g.,using hardware, software, digital logic, etc.). Further, in anembodiment, the base station 120 can be configured (e.g., usinghardware, digital logic, etc.) to receive the signal broadcast in step810 of FIG. 8 and to offload to the APN in response to receiving thesignal. For example, FIG. 10 shows base station 120 includingtransmission determination module 1002 that is configured to implementthe method of FIG. 8 and/or is configured to select either a RRCdedicated signaling method, RRC broadcast signaling method, or NASsignaling method.

6. CONCLUSION

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description, and not theAbstract, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Abstractmay set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, is notintended to limit the present disclosure and the appended claims in anyway.

The present disclosure has been described above with the aid offunctional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specifiedfunctions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functionalbuilding blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenienceof the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, by applyingknowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt forvarious applications such specific embodiments, without undueexperimentation, without departing from the general concept of thepresent disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications areintended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of thedisclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings andguidance.

Any representative signal processing functions described herein can beimplemented using computer processors, computer logic, applicationspecific circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors, etc., as will beunderstood by those skilled in the art based on the discussion givenherein. Accordingly, any processor that performs the signal processingfunctions described herein is within the scope and spirit of the presentdisclosure.

The above systems and methods may be implemented as a computer programexecuting on a machine, as a computer program product, or as a tangibleand/or non-transitory computer-readable medium having storedinstructions. For example, the functions described herein could beembodied by computer program instructions that are executed by acomputer processor or any one of the hardware devices listed above. Thecomputer program instructions cause the processor to perform the signalprocessing functions described herein. The computer program instructions(e.g. software) can be stored in a tangible non-transitory computerusable medium, computer program medium, or any storage medium that canbe accessed by a computer or processor. Such media include a memorydevice such as a RAM or ROM, or other type of computer storage mediumsuch as a computer disk or CD ROM. Accordingly, any tangiblenon-transitory computer storage medium having computer program code thatcause a processor to perform the signal processing functions describedherein are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been describedabove, it should be understood that they have been presented by way ofexample only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilledin the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not belimited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile communication device, comprising: atransceiver configured to provide wireless communications to a visitednetwork operated by a visited network operator and a home networkoperated by a home network operator; and processor circuitry coupled tothe transceiver, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to:select a first Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF)policy provided by the visited network operator for offloading data inresponse to determining that the mobile communication device has accessto the first ANDSF policy, select a second ANDSF policy provided by thehome network operator for offloading the data in response to determiningthat the mobile communication device does not have access to the firstANDSF policy and has access to the second ANDSF policy, and select RadioAccess Network (RAN) rules for offloading the data in response todetermining that the mobile communication device does not have access tothe first ANDSF policy or the second ANDSF policy.
 2. The mobilecommunication device of claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry isfurther configured to: determine whether a first rule for offloading thedata in the first ANDSF policy is active and valid in response toselecting the first ANDSF policy; and determine whether a second rulefor offloading the data in the second ANDSF policy is active and validin response to selecting the second ANDSF policy.
 3. The mobilecommunication device of claim 2, wherein the processor circuitry isfurther configured to: select the RAN rules for offloading the data inresponse to determining that the first rule for offloading the data inthe first ANDSF policy is inactive or invalid; and select the RAN rulesfor offloading the data in response to determining that the second rulefor offloading the data in the second ANDSF policy is inactive orinvalid.
 4. The mobile communication device of claim 2, furthercomprising: a memory storing the RAN rules.
 5. The mobile communicationdevice of claim 1, wherein the visited network operator has a roamingagreement with the home network operator.
 6. The mobile communicationdevice of claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is further configuredto: determine a network for offloading the data based on the first ANDSFpolicy, the second ANDSF policy, or the RAN rules.
 7. The mobilecommunication device of claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry isfurther configured to: determine traffic steering rules based on thefirst ANDSF policy, the second ANDSF policy, or the RAN rules.
 8. Amethod performed by a mobile communication device, comprising:determining whether a first Access Network Discovery and SelectionFunction (ANDSF) policy or a second ANDSF policy is available to themobile communication device, the first ANDSF policy provided by avisited network operator for offloading data, and the second ANDSFpolicy provided by a home network operator for offloading the data;selecting the first ANDSF policy in response to determining that thefirst ANDSF policy is available to the mobile communication device;selecting the second ANDSF policy in response to determining that thefirst ANDSF policy is not available to the mobile communication deviceand the second ANDSF policy is available to the mobile communicationdevice; and selecting Radio Access Network (RAN) rules for offloadingthe data in response to determining that neither the first ANDSF policynor the second ANDSF policy is available to the mobile communicationdevice.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determiningwhether a first rule for offloading the data in the first ANDSF policyis active and valid in response to selecting the first ANDSF policy; anddetermining whether a second rule for offloading the data in the secondANDSF policy is active and valid in response to selecting the secondANDSF policy.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: selectingthe RAN rules for offloading the data in response to determining thatthe first rule for offloading the data in the first ANDSF policy isinactive or invalid; and selecting the RAN rules for offloading the datain response to determining that the second rule for offloading the datain the second ANDSF policy is either inactive or invalid.
 11. The methodof claim 8, wherein the visited network operator has a roaming agreementwith the home network operator.
 12. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: determining a network for offloading the data based on thefirst ANDSF policy, the second ANDSF policy, or the RAN rules.
 13. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: determining traffic steeringrules based on the first ANDSF policy, the second ANDSF policy, or theRAN rules.
 14. A mobile communication device, comprising: a transceiverconfigured to provide wireless communications to a visited networkoperated by a visited network operator and a home network operated by ahome network operator; and processor circuitry coupled to thetransceiver, wherein the processor circuitry is configured to: determinethat data should be offloaded from a first communication network, and inresponse to determining that two or more rules for offloading the dataconflict with each other: determine whether the mobile communicationdevice has access to a first Access Network Discovery and SelectionFunction (ANDSF) policy provided by the visited network operator, anddetermine whether the mobile communication device has access to a secondANDSF policy provided by the home network operator.
 15. The mobilecommunication device of claim 14, wherein the processor circuitry isfurther configured to: select the first ANDSF policy for offloading thedata in response to determining that the mobile communication device hasaccess to the first ANDSF policy.
 16. The mobile communication device ofclaim 14, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to:select the second ANDSF policy for offloading the data in response todetermining that the mobile communication device does not have access tothe first ANDSF policy and has access to the second ANDSF policy. 17.The mobile communication device of claim 15, wherein the processorcircuitry is further configured to: determine whether a first rule foroffloading the data in the first ANDSF policy is active and valid inresponse to selecting the first ANDSF policy; and determine whether asecond rule for offloading the data in the second ANDSF policy is activeand valid in response to selecting the second ANDSF policy.
 18. Themobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the processor circuitryis further configured to: select Radio Access Network (RAN) rules foroffloading the data in response to determining that the first rule foroffloading the data in the first ANDSF policy is inactive or invalid;and select the RAN rules for offloading the data in response todetermining that the second rule for offloading the data in the secondANDSF policy is inactive or invalid.
 18. The mobile communication deviceof claim 17, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to:select the first ANDSF policy for offloading the data in response todetermining that the first rule for offloading the data in the firstANDSF policy is inactive or invalid; and select the second ANDSF policyfor offloading the data in response to determining that the second rulefor offloading the data in the second ANDSF policy is inactive orinvalid.
 20. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein theprocessor circuitry is further configured to: select Radio AccessNetwork (RAN) rules for offloading the data in response to determiningthat the mobile communication device does not have access to the firstANDSF policy or the second ANDSF policy.